


Working Up a Sweat

by MarieBoheme



Series: AkiHam Week 2020 [2]
Category: Persona 3, Persona Series
Genre: AkiHam Week 2020, Akiham Week, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:47:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23421898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarieBoheme/pseuds/MarieBoheme
Summary: Mornings were a sacred time for Akihiko. Reluctantly, he allows Minako to become a part of his routine. Written for Day 3 of AkiHam Week 2020: Early Mornings.
Relationships: Arisato Minako/Sanada Akihiko, Female Persona 3 Protagonist/Sanada Akihiko
Series: AkiHam Week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1684807
Comments: 6
Kudos: 60
Collections: AkiHam Week 2020





	Working Up a Sweat

**Author's Note:**

> So I know I currently have a story that I need to update and unwritten prompts from ShuMako Week that I'm still planning to get to, but I played Persona 3 at the beginning of this year and I instantly fell in love with Akihiko and the AkiHam ship. I've been wanting to write for this pairing ever since, and what better way than for the first ever AkiHam week? Hope you enjoy my first attempt at writing some AkiHam fluff.

It was extraordinarily rare for Akihiko to not be the first one awake in the Iwatodai Dorm. If he wanted to avoid feeling restless or distracted during classes, he usually needed to get a good workout in before beginning his day. Using the equipment in his room proved too noisy (according to a grumpy Junpei) and so he’d gotten used to channeling these bursts of early morning energy into jogs around the neighborhood, leaving the dorm often before the sun appeared.

The rest of the dorm was usually still fast asleep when he returned. During this time, he got to enjoy the shared spaces in peace, a rarity as of late as the SEES kept growing in size. While he liked all of his teammates just fine, he would be lying to himself if he pretended he didn’t miss the quiet and privacy that permeated the dorm when it was just him, Mitsuru and for a time Yukari in the building. Sometimes, it got so rowdy that he couldn’t hear himself think, let alone accomplish anything productive.

As the summer dragged on and the group got larger and more rambunctious, these morning runs became an increasingly prized part of his schedule. So he wasn’t exactly thrilled the first time he was interrupted by another of the dorm’s residents upon returning from his run.

He heard her before he saw her. “What a good boy, Koro-chan!”

Akihiko froze mid-stride, not used to having to deal with another person this early in the morning. Since Koromaru had joined the team, the canine would greet him in the mornings for some breakfast and a belly rub, but these interactions didn’t require any sort of emotional intelligence or nuance. The rest of his teammates were a different story. Especially this one in particular.

As he walked into the kitchen, Minako was sitting cross-legged on the floor, ruffling Koromaru’s ears as he laid out on his side.

“Good morning, Senpai,” she called out as she caught sight of him approaching. Koromaru, who usually ran circles around him energetically, barely lifted his head to acknowledge his presence.

Akihiko nodded at her as he got himself a bottle of water from the fridge, wiping at the sweat on his brow with a rag. “You’re up early today.”

She shrugged. “I went to bed early last night and figured I’d get a jump start on the day.” She leaned back and stretched her arms over her head with a slight yawn. Koromaru whined at the loss of contact and Minako chuckled as she resumed petting him. “Do you always go running this early?”

He leaned with his back against the counter as he downed most of the bottle in one shot. “Pretty much.”

“How often?”

“Almost every morning. As long as we didn’t just get back from Tartarus.”

Minako let out a low whistle. “On top of the time you spend training in your room and with the boxing team? That’s impressive,” she told him. “No wonder you’re in such good shape.”

Although he was used to getting complimented on his regimen, he felt his cheeks warm a little at that unexpected bit of praise. Luckily, he was already flushed from his run so it went unnoticed by Minako, who tapped a finger to her chin as she continued. “I’ve actually been thinking of taking up running to build up my cardio, so I don’t get tired as quickly when we’re fighting shadows. It might help to have a coach...do you think I could join you sometime?”

A long pause followed as Akihiko contemplated ways to refuse her request. He greatly enjoyed having that time to himself in the mornings, and the thought of giving it up almost indefinitely didn’t appeal to him in the slightest. Not to mention that things had been rather awkward with Minako since _the incident_ at the hotel on Shirakawa Boulevard. He’d tried to rectify the situation somewhat by inviting her to the summer festival, but he couldn’t help but feel that things were still weird between them. It didn’t help that Minako could be hard to read since she never dropped her upbeat and cheery exterior, even though he knew it was impossible for someone to be that downright positive all the time. 

But he couldn’t bring himself to turn her down when she looked so eager. It reminded him of when Miki would look at him with puppy dog eyes, begging him to stay with her just a little longer before it was time for bed or to play with her instead of hanging out with the older boys at the orphanage. Even Shinji had been unable to resist Miki’s charms. 

As he considered it, he realized that chances were that she would back out anyways, as people tended to do when they asked for his help with a workout routine. Especially when they realized how tough a coach he could be. So instead, he relented. 

“Of course,” he told her with a smile, which she quickly returned. “As long as you’re not late, you can come with me.”

It didn’t take long for her to take him up on his offer. The very next morning, she was already waiting for him, dressed in workout gear and looking wide awake despite the early start. “Ready to go, Senpai?” 

Akihiko was amused at her eagerness. “Try to keep up, don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because it’s your first time.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” she countered with a smirk, practically gliding past him and out the front door.

Running with Minako that first morning proved to be a lot more enjoyable than he had been anticipating. She was mostly able to keep up with him (despite what he’d said, he had slowed his pace a bit and stopped more often than he usually would, although it wasn’t needed as much as he would have expected). More importantly, she respected the comfortable silence that he was used to, not speaking first unless it was to ask him questions about how to improve her technique. 

By the time they returned to the dorm, she was visibly exhausted, flushed and dripping with sweat, but still appeared as cheerful as she had been when they had started their run. After giving Koromaru a friendly pat on the head, she downed a glass of water in one go before promising to see him again the next morning.

And so began their routine. While Minako didn’t join him every day, she would appear several times a week, always with that bright smile and seemingly infallible optimism of hers. They jogged in silence, and as time went on he was able to push her more. They increased their pace, their distance, or altered their route to incorporate steeper and more challenging paths. He couldn’t deny that he was just as impressed by her during these sessions as he was of her abilities during the Dark Hour. She took everything in stride, never complaining or whining when things became more difficult; the men on his team could probably learn a thing or two from her. 

Complimentary to their morning runs, another sort of routine was established between them. Upon returning to the dorm, instead of heading straight for her room, Minako began to use this time they had alone to ask him a seemingly unending series of questions. She wanted to know more about the boxing team, his plans for university, his food preferences, books he’d read recently, and would sometimes delve into questions about his childhood which he mostly avoided by turning the focus around on her instead. He’d never been great at small talk, having been told on multiple occasions that he was weird or awkward. But Minako made it easier to keep a conversation going, not just when it came to him but with everyone in their group. This easy charisma was part of what made her a good leader. 

And even though it baffled him, he slowly began to enjoy this part of their routine just as much as he did their actual runs. Why exactly this was, he couldn’t figure it out. Casual conversation, especially when it came to girls, had never been his strong suit, as all of his friends were quick to tell him. So why was it so different with Minako?

“Senpai?” she began one morning as they stood in the kitchen. “Can I ask you something?”

Akihiko eyed her curiously. There was an excited edge to her voice, almost mischievous, that unnerved him. Minako could be just as much as a wild card in the real world as she was during the Dark Hour, so he couldn’t help but feel suspicious when it seemed like she might be planning something. “Of course.”

“Well, I’ve been thinking about what you’ve said before about wanting to get stronger. I think that’s something I’d like to learn too. If you’re willing to teach me.”

He stared at her blankly. “Teach you?”

“Yeah! You know, how to fight!” Minako brought her hands up to her face, balling them in what he assumed was her best approximation of a boxer’s stance. He bit his cheek to keep from laughing.

“Well, it would be much easier if we had proper equipment. I’ve got-” He nearly choked as he realized that he’d just been about to invite her to his room to grab one of his spare pair of gloves. Mitsuru would have executed him on the spot if she overheard. He shook his head as he changed his train of thought. “Never mind. We’ll save that for another time.”

Not having noticed his misstep, her eyes lit up as she realized that he was willing to humor her request. “Great! What do we do first?”

“Before you throw any punches, let’s make sure you’ve got the right stance.” He maneuvered behind her, adjusting her shoulders and squaring her hips. He then retracted his hands, taking a hurried step back. “Sorry! I should have asked before doing that...” 

Minako didn’t budge, shaking her head. “No, no it’s fine! Show me!”

With that go-ahead, he circled her so that they were facing each other and adjusted her wrists. “You don’t want your hands too high, or else you’ll create a blind spot for yourself. This way you can see a shot coming your way.” 

Minako nodded, holding steady as she listened to his instruction. “The thing you have to remember about boxing is that it’s just as much of a mental sport as it is a physical one. It’s not just about raw strength; you can take down someone stronger than you if your timing is right and if you have a solid technique. When you’re in the ring, you have to be thinking nonstop. With every punch, you have to consider what your opponent might do to counter you and then think about how to leverage that counter to advantage.”

“Sounds kind of like chess,” she mused. 

“Yeah, I guess you can say that,” he admitted. “But the stakes are a lot higher since a single misstep can leave you vulnerable to getting seriously injured.” 

“Well, no wonder you like it so much. You love to throw yourself into dangerous situations,” she chided him with a sly smile. Well, he couldn’t really disagree with her on that one. If there wasn't the thrill of danger in a fight, it meant he wasn’t getting any stronger. 

Akihiko moved beside her, getting into a stance that by now came as easily to him as walking. “The first thing I’m going to show you is how to do a jab followed by a cross. It’s one of the most basic moves you can learn, but it’s also one of the most useful. Watch me, okay?”

He felt some of his previous anxiety draining as he carried out the beginner maneuver, demonstrating it a few times while explaining what he was doing for Minako’s benefit. She was watching him intently, an eager look in her eyes as she patiently waited her turn. “Alright, now you try it.”

Her first few attempts were fairly solid, and she looked his way almost immediately for feedback. “Not bad, but your shots are landing all over the place. Keep in mind that you’re trying to hit a single target. Here, maybe this will help.”

He gestured for her to move with him to the living room, where he grabbed a cushion from the couch and held it up in front of his face. “Okay, let’s try this again. Come at me!”

Minako got an excited look on her face, much more motivated to perform well now that Akihiko was playing the role of her opponent. Her punches held a lot more power as she focused intently on his every move. “Okay, that’s good, just make sure you twist your hips a bit more before - oof!” She lined up another series of punches before he could finish his instruction, strong and sudden enough that he needed to take a step back to fully absorb the impact. 

She looked smug. “Looks like I got the upper hand, there.”

He scoffed as he got back into position. “Because you should have been listening to me.”

Placing a hand on her hip, she began to shake her head at him like a parent scolding a child. “Don’t make excuses, Senpai. Learning to surprise your opponent is part of a good technique right?”

He huffed, not wanting to acknowledge that she was right. “Don’t get too full of yourself. Let’s see you do it again.”

Akihiko’s competitiveness kicked into high gear as they resumed their training. He continued to offer her pointers on her form and taught her a more complex combination of moves to work with when it became obvious that she was growing bored with the basics. Although Minako was strong and determined, there was no chance of her being able to overtake him with his years of dedication to the sport behind him. 

But she was stubborn, not wanting to relent until she’d successfully knocked him off balance. A lesser man would have let her win just to be done with it, but that wasn’t his style. He never even let Miki win when they played together, and he wasn’t about to start with that chauvinistic nonsense now.

Despite his suggestion that they break for the day, Minako was relentless, bouncing on her feet from side to side as she tried over and over again to catch him off guard. It reminded him of the seemingly endless source of energy that she displayed when they fought shadows, never being the first of them to tire out despite always staying on the front lines. And now, she didn’t even have to deal with lugging around that enormous naginata that she somehow managed to wield expertly despite it standing nearly a foot taller than her. 

He was starting to think that this morning would never end when Minako paused for just a moment, yanking up the hem of her tank top and using it to wipe away the sweat that had accumulated on her brow. Unconsciously, his attention shifted to the newly revealed skin of her abdomen, shiny and flushed from their training, and the smallest glimpse of the bottom of a black sports bra...

And before he could right himself, a solid hit dead center in his chest knocked the wind out of him. He stumbled backward, the momentum and his surprise causing him to hit the ground with a loud groan. 

“Yes! I did it!” Minako yelled out as she pumped her fist in the air triumphantly. 

Akihiko said nothing in return, still dazed from having been defeated and not quite understanding what had just happened. A dizzy spell from low blood sugar? Was he getting sick? He made a mental note to check his temperature later. 

“What the hell is going on down here?”

Turning to face the stairs, they were greeted by a very sleepy Junpei leaning against the wall, still in his pajamas. Akihiko held his tongue to keep from telling him to put on something more decent. Minako, unfazed, pivoted in place to face him, fists held high as if she was readying herself for a fight. “Akihiko-senpai’s teaching me how to box! Look!” She then proceeded to repeat one of the maneuvers he had taught her, finishing with an exaggerated uppercut to her invisible target. He hadn’t even shown her that move yet.

Junpei looked unimpressed. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Can you try to cool down your flirting a bit? Some of us are trying to sleep.”

Akihiko felt his face heat up and was about to sputter out a protest when he was interrupted by Minako sprinting past him toward the stairs. Junpei barely had time to react, only making it up a few steps before she tackled him, and they both hit the ground in a weird mess of limbs and yelps.

“Don’t you want to see if you could take me, Junpei-kun?” she shrieked as she pinned him to the ground and began to muss up his hair. “Let’s see what you’ve got!” 

“Cut it out, Mina-tan!” He whined indignantly as he tried feebly to swat her hand away, but she very clearly had the advantage. “It’s too damn early for this!”

A nagging voice in his head, that sounded a bit too much like Mitsuru, urged him to break up their friendly tussle before they hurt themselves or woke up even more of the dorm’s residents (a cold chill ran down his spine just at the _thought_ of them having to confront a cranky Mitsuru). But he couldn’t bring himself to interrupt the display, not with how happy Minako looked. Her roaring laughter and unbound energy were infectious. He felt a smile tugging at the corner of his lips at the sight of it. 

Suddenly unnerved by the feeling of being watched, Akihiko looked over to see Koromaru studying him, his head cocked to one side. He could have sworn that the dog was looking at him with what could only be described as a mocking expression. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Unsurprisingly, he did not receive an answer before the dog hurried to the kitchen, most likely to get out of thrashing range. 

By now, Junpei had mostly managed to escape Minako’s grasp and was desperately trying to make his way back up the stairs. As she grabbed onto his leg to retain her leverage, he stumbled, sending the two of them tumbling down the stairs so they hit the landing with a loud thump. 

Akihiko rushed over, helping Minako to stand up as Junpei remained on the ground, groaning as he held his head in his hands. As she stood up on shaky legs, she held onto his arm rather tightly and he was briefly reminded of that time outside the sweet shop when he’d held her hand the whole back to the dorm in an attempt to escape a particularly volatile group of fan girls. At the time, Minako had brushed off his flustered attempts at an apology, but the memory of it still managed to embarrass him in the present.

Thankfully, she didn’t seem to notice his uneasiness. “Thanks for the hand, Senpai,” she teased him, giving his hand a squeeze. “I think I got a little carried away there.”

“I didn’t think it needed saying earlier, but I would rather you not use what I teach you to hurt others,” he said flatly. “The last thing I need is to get scolded by Mitsuru.”

“Junpei doesn’t count,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Besides,” her voice seemed to drop an octave as she leaned in just a tad closer to him. “I kind of like the excuse to hold your hand.” 

With a wink, she let go of him, turning her attention to their friend who was still on the floor. “Oh, quit whining. How about I make you some breakfast, and we call it even?” Junpei relented with a pout and a grumble, but his expression betrayed his enthusiasm at the promise of a home-cooked breakfast. 

“Would you like to join us, Akihiko-senpai? You like pancakes, right?” She shot him a coy look over her shoulder. He could only nod meekly back at her, still recovering from her earlier comment and the nervous feeling in his gut that his mornings, and life in general, were about to get a lot more complicated. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm planning a couple more pieces for this week (including for yesterday's prompt), so that's not it for me for AkiHam week. Thanks for reading and stay safe and healthy, everyone!


End file.
